Been here two times. I don't remember the second trip, but the first time memorable…read more I remember touring the campus with our school teacher who had learn Sign Language in her youth. I what struck me as d.c different was how quiet it was. Every once and a while some noise was made, but not much. I learned that there was a dance club in the university and even if not everyone could hear the music playing, you sure as hell could feel the vibrations. It was something I never thought about until that moment. We even saw a play at the university and it was one of the most interesting plays I have seen. I don't remember the name of the play unfortunately. One of the most amazing facts I learned was the huddle in football was started within the dead community. It was...is a way for the team to be able to see what strategy they should or could use. Eventually, this little huddle thing spread out from the deaf community and became a world wide thing.

I delivered a conference here and couldn't believe how beautiful this campus was and how friendly…read moreeveryone was. So sad that I haven't been here before. I highly recommend the hotel and its conference rooms for delivering a small meeting. Really comfortable, friendly staff and clean well appointed rooms. Definitely will consider this next time we're in DC.

(Montgomery College Rockville Part 1 of 2) 10/16/19…read more Montgomery College in Rockville Maryland. My old stomping ground and where I found a major I really liked. A major I never aquire, because I got burned out. I tried two different to continue my education ang graduate from college, but I guess as of now...2019...its not likely to happen. Let's take a step back and I will tell you what happened with me over the years at Montgomery College. In 1996-1997 I was attending Marshall University. Yeah, the same University where the movie We Are Marshall was filmed. I had come to Montgomery College to repair my grade point average. At Marshall the College life had gotten good, but I wasn't prefirming well in all of my classes. History is just one example. The teacher...no...professor, had her whole class sign in using one's social security number as way of attendance. I put my name down instead of my social security number. What the hell kind of system is that? Off topic for a moment. I once applied to work at a Fed Ex in Rockville. It was a group interview and at the end of the group interview they had people put their social security number down on paper. The paper was passed all the way down to me. I put my name down and passed it on. A few others followed my lead. Needless to say, we weren't hired, had a list of social security numbers in my head,....but I digress. I saw every student get 20 to 30 pages of reading every night. If you fell behind you were shit out of luck. The game of catch up was a very popular game in her class. I did what I could, but failed and ended up dropping her class. I ended up dropping a four hour algebra class that met twice a week too. Needless to say, I need my GPA at a higher level and once I enrolled in Montgomery College, I kicked some major ass. I had a new game plan and I liked the size of these college. The campus was pretty much all in one place without having to travel long distances to get to classes. Upon regestiering, I saw the line seemed pretty long, but it moved fairly quickly. It was then I notice a sign with a picture on the wall. The sign said "And you think you have it bad." The picture showed lines of students out of the building going all the way towards the security office and beyond. Now adays there should be a line since online enrollment is the new way to do things. Paying for books was expensive and the return of unwanted books was highway robbery. This is the way colleges are and this is not going to change. Now if you didn't know, there are three Montgomery Colleges. In no particular order, Rockville Montgomery College, Germantown and Takoma/Silver Spring campuses. Since I now lived in the Rockville area, I sometimes walked, drove or took the bus depending on my mood. This is a day/night campus, but you didn't live on campus like other colleges do. During the Spring semester of 97, I took several classes to help get my grade point average up. By the end of it all, there I got ready to take a test where if you don't pass, you don't pass the class. I believe they called it the competency exam. I had A's in the class, but failed the test. I appealed their fail grade, but lost. I was bummed out, but knew I could pass on the next try. I was taking classes that were beyond the normal, but it helped me out a great deal later on. Yeah, once I got over taking English 001 and 002 I learned a great deal and more importantly, had fun. Between classes after finishing homework, I stumbled upon an arcade inside the Student Center. I don't know if the students center still has this arcade and pool, but it was a way to unwind. I believe there was a small copy center there too...I may be have been something else though. I noticed the last time I was in Maryland, Montgomery College has been broadcasting the school's mascot. A large Raven and the Color of Montgomery seems to be my favorite color purple. When I went to this school, I never saw much of the mascot or the new colored clothing. Guess not enough merchandise is being sold and Montgomery College is trying to change that with better clothes. I will check this out for myself next week. Correction, the mascot for Montgomery College Rockville, the mascot is a Raptor not a Raven...I was corrected when I saw a picture of the mascot sign. *I'm running out of writing room, do I will write more later.....to be continued."

The Rockville Campus of Montgomery College is currently undergoing construction with upgrades to be…read moreexpected over the next year or two. This is one of three Montgomery College campuses and is the one I've personally spent the most time taking classes over my tenure, which has been far from linear. There is parking that surrounds the circular campus, mostly lots, but there is a garage as well. The facilities are fairly nice and it's my preferred campus with Germantown taking a close second. There are busses that run through the campus all day and into the evening.

Great classes for people who wish to take additional technical training. Although the classes are…read moreexpensive, they usually work with you to cut it down to what your academic assistance is at your company. For my company it's $2500, so it's kind of funny how all my classes end up being $2500. The instructors are very knowledgeable (GET IT!). Global Knowledge usually provides additional material from the vendor training slides so it does give it that "added value." The labs are very hands on and it goes into step by step detail on how to do them that even a caveman can do it. I only wish they would call me less to ask me if I'm going to take more classes.

It was a sweaty and steamy August day when I first set foot into the Beautiful ICC and propelled…read moremyself into the esteemed Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies. And yet the stuffy center, in the basement of the second most egregious architectural disaster of a building on Georgetown's campus, was refreshingly chilly. Chilly in temperature, but not in spirit! As disagreeable as the lack of Oxford comma in the center's name may be, the center does truly bring together a robust collection of human beings. And it is these folks who craft and construct the spirit of the Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies. As for amenities, you may ask, this center boasts a powerful Xerox WorkCentre 7855 printer, scanner, copier, and fax machine. This, of course, is the pinnacle of what the center offers. It is worth noting that there is also a small kitchen with running water and a voluptuous collection of cabinetry. The design of the cabinets is somewhat bland and generic--the typical white wood paneling that you might find in an office constructed between the years of 1974 and 1986. Absolutely void of style, but functional. Last I checked there is also a refrigerator, a microwave, and a Keurig. As we all know, Keurigs produce the absolute worst coffee, so expectations should be managed accordingly. The center also boasts an absolutely REGAL mahogany dining room Table, around which The Masses can gather for a chat, meeting, or concerted study session. The Table is surrounded by several luscious bookshelves, which host books to satisfy your basic need of literature related to Eurasia, Russia, and Eastern Europe. On one side of The Table, you will find a window that looks out toward a road. There is nothing appealing about the road, but it certainly fulfills its purpose as a road. The center also houses several offices, two of which are windowless. In the annals of Georgetown University, perhaps a driven searcher can find the answer to why anyone would construct a building with windowless offices. To me it is but a mystery, and for me a mystery it shall remain. I recommend paying a visit to the Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies for any and all of your scholarship needs.

The Leavey Center is currently undergoing partial renovation. One of the study lounge areas is…read moregetting new furniture this week so it should be cool to hang out and study near uncommon grounds.

They helped me get accepted to my university after going to NOVA for a year. Super helpful staff,…read moreand great experience. Once I got accepted, I have used them many times to help with my calculus, and statistic classes at GW. Without them I would have failed!

I volunteered for CPE over 10 years ago. I was paired with a super sweet freshman. We met for the…read morefirst time at Barnes and Nobles with her mom and younger brother. We met at least once a month, I got to know her family, we participated in volunteer events and fun/educational activities together. Fast forward 15 years later, and we still keep in contact. She is now in her late-20s, pursuing art and a modeling career, and traveling the world. However, whenever I see her, she still gives me a huge hug like that shy freshman with pigtails I met at Barnes and Noble. Being a mentor with CPE was a very rewarding and eye-opening experience for me. Each mentor/mentee pair will have a different experience based on compatibility and how much effort each person puts into it. Fortunately, I got along really well with my mentee and her family. I gained a friend and learned a lot from the experience.

So few of us have extra money hanging around to help out people, but so few of us do not have extra…read moretime. Several years ago, I was itching to give some of my time to a worthy cause and volunteer for an organization that I could apply my skills and enjoy, as well as help out the cause. I came across Capital Partners for Education (CPE) and signed right up to be a mentor. The organization is incredibly professional and well-run with remarkable results. They focus on under-served children who would like to go to a private school and be on a fast-track to college enrollment. Their success rate is a phenomenal 99-100% of college enrollment and college retention rate. The program couples private high school scholarships with college prep courses and an adult mentor. This is where you come in. I've been a mentor to the same girl for three years now. What I loved about CPE was their honest efforts to pair me up with someone who they thought I would get along with (and vice-versa), and they were right on the money. It's an incredibly fulfilling experience to share your life with a teenager who comes from a completely different perspective than you do, and DC affords the best playground for this. Museums, free film festivals, cultural events galore, great restaurants... you will never be lacking things to do with your mentee and ways to help shape their own growing world-view! So get off your butt and give some time to someone who will appreciate it and learn from it - and you'll be surprised at how much you, too, will get out of it!

Full disclosure: I work for KIPP DC. Still though, I have worked for DCPS as well and, as an…read moreemployee, KIPP is leaps and bounds above DCPS. Yes, the hours expected are longer and, yes, the school year is longer but it's just such a positive environment and philosophy for education that I strongly support. At my particular school, we are a family and our administration is supportive not combative. I don't want to overly expose but I would send my own kids to KIPP over DCPS 110%.